”Is it going to hurt much?” Stephen asked once she realized that the spell was in place.
“Only a little the first time, but I promise to be gentle.”
“I get the feeling that we’re not on the same topic. Having mana pulled through you as a Familiar is said to be so excruciating that most who are sentenced to it as a punishment commit suicide within the first year after their sentence.” Stephen clarified.
“Well, you’re not a non-magic-using descendant of the humans or the Magi, are you? Of course, they suffer because they can’t handle the mana flow, but that’s not a problem for you or me.
Transferring mana between a Magi and a Witch is quite pleasurable for the Witch. Contact makes the transfer flow more smoothly, but drawing on me for a large spell can still have side effects.
I will provide you with regular doses of mana to integrate into your body to strengthen your powers as well. If you grow at the same rate as Cassie and Ella, you should be more capable than most of the regular class within a few weeks.” Wolfe explained.
“Thank you. But why did you give such an odd answer the first time? This is hardly the time and place for dirty jokes.” Stephen asked.
“Didn’t anyone tell you? As a Familiar, intimacy is the key to growing both your power and your bond. The more intimate, the better. You could start by showing your real appearance if you want. I won’t order you to since I know it’s a delicate subject.”
“And how do you know that?”
Wolfe was about to reply when he caught the smell of rot and heard growling up ahead.
“Keep quiet and circle to the right. I think something angry is waiting for us at the river.” Wolfe whispered as he brought up [Fire Armor] for both of them, moulding it to their bodies as a dark red suit of physical armour made of solidified flames.
With their defences taken care of, Wolfe cast [Detect Hidden] and searched the trees near them, finding only a few small animals in sight.
Moving slowly through the woods, Wolfe realized just how irrelevant most of his life skills were outside of the city. He could move with absolute silence through a filthy alley or down a concrete floor, but in the woods, even the leaves crackled. It was like walking on a layer of packing peanuts, and it took way more effort than expected to not create a huge disturbance.
Whatever was in front of them was making such a racket that it didn’t matter, though, growling and doing something that sounded like slapping at the ground.
As he reached the edge of the trees, [Detect Hidden] revealed the awful truth. A badly mauled Ghoul was trapped in the jaws of a dead monster that somewhat resembled an overgrown house cat if you ignored the scaled portions.
He also spotted their target. Along the water line, a few dozen long blades of teal-coloured grass grew, glowing faintly in the dim light of the forest.
“They don’t store well unless you know how to dry them properly, so only take what we need, Stephen whispered, coming up behind him.
Wolfe checked the area, looking for another monster he was certain should be there, waiting for the noise to attract more prey. The ghoul was so loud it had to have been noticed, and in the lower levels of the city, gangs would often leave an injured opponent on the loose and then attack whoever came to rescue them.
He wasn’t finding anything though, so maybe that didn’t happen out here. Still, to be safe, Wolfe used a [Firebolt] and burned the crippled undead to ashes.
Up from the water rose a vaguely humanoid shape made of the same dark soil as the riverbank, roaring in rage, and Wolfe realized they were in real trouble.
That thing didn’t seem to be afraid of fire, but there was still hope for Lightning or even Unholy Smite.
“You lock that thing down, and I will get the reagents,” Stephen whispered, with scissors in hand and crouched in a sprinter’s starting position while he prepared to make a dash for the grass.
Wolfe stood up and fired a lightning bolt into the mud monster while Stephen took off at a run.
The monster was thrown back, stunned by the attack, and Wolfe began to see hope for their mission. He channelled Lightning continually while Stephen quickly cut a handful of Spirit Grass, then rolled left to avoid a thrown mud attack by the monster.
The Lightning was doing its job, though, and it was arcing through the body of the monster, leaving it unable to move more than a few centimetres at a time.
As he got up, Stephen scooped a container full of ash from the dead Ghoul, then made for the tree line, headed for the academy.
“It shouldn’t leave the river. Run for it.” He called as he reached the tree line, but the distraction cost him, and a mud ball hit him in the back, shattering the illusion of Stephen, but the Fire Armor that Wolfe had cast held strong, absorbing almost all of the impact.
ƥαṇdαηθνε|
When his partner was out of sight, Wolfe sent one last arc of lightning into the monster and began to run, dodging a storm of mud balls from the enraged guardian of the area.
Stephen was right. The monster didn’t move away from the river, and once the trees blocked Wolfe from sight, it stopped attacking and slid back into the water, becoming a thin layer of muddy bottom and hiding in plain sight.
Wolfe eventually caught up to the emaciated form of the witch after they reached the main trail to the school, then kept pace until they were almost in sight of the gate guards.
“What do I do? The disguise can only be used once a week, and I had just renewed it.” She asked while looking longingly at the Academy.
Wolfe tried pouring mana into the tattoo, but it seemed totally inert as if it was just ink. The cooldown must have been part of the spell and not a restriction based on her mana capacity.
“Since you’re not ready to come out as yourself yet, just play along. You’re still lanky with blonde hair, wearing the same clothes, so hide your hands in your pockets, and I will form the [Fire Armor] into a mask. You can just go along with my lead and try not to speak until we get you to your room.” Wolfe instructed.
That hid almost all the tattoos and scars of her actual body, and they had only been gone a short while, certainly not long enough for the guards to have changed shifts, so it should get them through the gates.
“If I give you mana, can you create a new disguise? There is a spell in the Adventurers Handbook, but I don’t know it yet.” Wolfe asked, wondering if there was an easier way.
“I have an enchanted latex mask in my room. It’s not perfect, but it looks like the male version of me and covers my head.” She suggested.
“No way is that going to fly for a week. Once we get inside, I will try to learn that disguise ability from the Adventurer’s Handbook. I’ve grown pretty powerful as a Magi since I became a Familiar, so I’m pretty sure I can learn it in a night. But if that doesn’t fly, we will have to go to Professor Ashcroft.
She is moderately reliable and certainly competent, plus she is more likely to help than most of the other teachers. It’s no guarantee, and you might end up in the same position I was, waiting around for an inquisitor to show up and determine your fate, but as far as I can tell, it’s the best option that we have.” Wolfe suggested.
“Back up, did you say you’re a Magi? Not a summoned Demon, but an actual spell-casting Magi? That’s impossible. They’re extinct.”
“I thought so too, at first. I have learned since arriving at the Academy that when anyone suspected of having a Magi bloodline is caught, they are usually executed, but I was accidentally summoned as a Familiar, so they cursed me to live as a Demon forever. In the eyes of the Coven, a highly promising witch losing a powerful Familiar is too high of a price to pay just to kill a potential Magi.” He explained.
“Is everything we are taught a lie?” She muttered and then looked to the gates.
“Most likely. Here goes nothing.”